The One That's Loved Too Much
by Winged Lady Colette
Summary: Itachi has been going through his life with not much thought to how he lives or about his past. Then he meets Sasuke Uchiha an unknown boy with solid black eyes and an alluring presence. Sasuke is the boy that will change his entire life. Uchihacest. Sasuke/Itachi
1. The Meeting

**Author's Note: Sorry, another story idea stirring in my brain for a while. This is in our world, I guess you could say. So, let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Warning: None, well, maybe language.**

**Word Count: 3,975**

_They sat in the cold, hospital waiting room doing just that. Waiting. The youngest boy in the room taps his foot against the floor anxiously. Itachi can feel his eyes darting over to him. Both of them hoping the same thing. Lie, this entire thing is a lie. Mikoto had no idea what she was talking about. She was wrong in her assumption. There's no way it could be him. There was no way it could be Itachi. _

_A nurse walks towards them, clipboard in hand. Everyone tenses up, watching as she draws nearer, but then she turns at the last moment and enters the nurses station right next to them. They all sinks into their seats, not quite relaxed._

_Itachi didn't like it in the hospital. Why did he agree to have them do this? Ultimately, did it even matter? So much of Itachi's life has passed so far without knowing, why did it matter to know now? All it would ultimately do was take away something that Itachi spent much of his free time waiting for the next opportunity. The next chance to get his special fix. _

_But now, his world is shattering around him. What would he do if it ended up being true? What would he do if it turned out that Mikoto was right? Itachi wouldn't be able to stay with them, that's for sure._

* * *

Itachi came here often. It was just something that he would do when he wasn't working himself to the bone. Itachi often came with friends. The music was good and so was the food. And there was a lot of friendly people. Even if Itachi didn't end up going home with someone for the night, or slip away even for a few minutes for some good time, he would end up having a good night regardless of whether he got some or not.

It was a Thursday night, so there wasn't a lot of people there. Which only worked in Itachi's favor. He's not much for big crowds and being the center of attention. Itachi runs a hand through his long black hair, working out a tangle as he watches Deidara, Konan and Obito walk back over to them, holding drinks for the table. They set everyone's drinks in front of them before sitting down.

"Is Rin coming later?" Itachi asks Obito. The black haired man digs his phone out of his pocket and squints at it.

"Um yeah, she was getting off early from her shift at the hospital in about a half hour. She has to go home and change before she comes here," Obito says and drops his phone onto the table. He hesitates for a moment before reaching across the table to grab some fries from the fry basket they have sitting in the center of the table, stuffing them into his mouth and chewing. He hums happily.

"It's good that she's getting more field time. When is she going to be a full time nurse?" Itachi asks, leaning on his fist. His elbow on the table and dark hair sliding over his shoulder to settle on the wooden top.

Obito swallows and squints off across the dance floor. "Uh, I think... next month? Next week? Never? I have no idea. She told me, but I wasn't really paying attention..." he grins. "I love seeing her in that nurse's uniform."

Sasori looks over at Obito with a blank stare. "You are so in love with that girl, it's gross."

"Seriously," Hidan says, tossing back his drink, "many a chapters in Obito's life start out with 'Obito walked meekly into the room looking stupid and whipped'." That gives him a few snickers from the others at the table.

Kakuzu shakes his head, glaring across the table at the albino. "There is no way you thought that up on the fly."

Hidan stuck his tongue out at the green eyed man, before looking back to Obito. "Seriously, though, she's yankin' you around by your short hairs most of the time."

Konan and Itachi both scrunch their faces at that. Konan gives him a dry look with a soft, "nasty, Hidan, nasty" before turning back to her boyfriend, Yahiko. He kisses her cheek before looking to the red head next to him and the two grin at each other.

"Come on now, Hidan," Yahiko says sagely, "any sane man would know that so long as your woman is happy, there is no need to be strung along... by any soft of dragging around." He shakes his head and grins down at the girl under his arm.

Kisame, who's been watching a girl across the dance floor, finally climbs to his feet and with a little wave of farewell to his friends he makes his way over there. Hidan and Kakuzu, as they watch him go, make wolf noises. Itachi sips his coke thoughtfully, listening to Konan tell a story about the kids that she teaches at the community center different forms of origami.

"They're getting good," she says finally. "I'm really excited for them."

Itachi watched, throughout the night, as Rin showed up, and dragged Obito to the dance floor. Then Konan pulled Yahiko away to dance. Hidan and Kakuzu went to pick up girls at the bar and a girl came to pick up Nagato. Eventually Deidara and Sasori slipped away to be alone and Itachi settled for watching the moving bodies on the dance floor and looking around the dark room.

Itachi's eyes settle on a group of three high school students that walk in around ten. He purses his lips watching as they look around the room curiously. All of them are dressed casual but something about them gave Itachi the impression that they come from the better part of town. Their designer clothes and prim and proper stance.

The first one he noticed was the boy with the wild blond hair. He's spinning around the room with his eyes wide like saucers. He reaches out and clutches the other boy's arm, lips flying. He's saying something at rapid speed, but the music drowns it out. He's in skinny jeans, littered with artifical holes and a blue and orange t-shirt. His skin is tanned and he has strange scratches on both sides of his face. Three to be exact.

The girl in the group has long, light pink hair and vibrant green eyes. She's wearing a long black and red dress that hugs her form perfectly. It makes her pale skin look good. Her pink hair is pulled back into a long, loose braid hanging over her shoulder. Her make up is done up casually. She has long, hoop earrings dangling from her ears and she grab's the remaining boy's other hand, also looking around in awe.

The final boy, the tallest of the three, nearly dwarfing the small girl next to him, is a pale skinned, dark hair, dark eyed boy. Even from this distance, Itachi can tell he's an Uchiha. Those looks are hard to replicate. He's in dark wash jeans and gray tank top with a dark blue short sleeve button up. It's left open showing off his tall and lean body.

All three of them look around the room in fascination. Itachi shakes his head and turns back to look at the dance floor, eyes scanning fot the other Uchiha, spinning his long time girlfriend around in perfect sync with the music. His eyes flash over to Itachi and he makes a subtle sign for him and Rin to come over. He nods a gestures around as if to say, "After this song". Itachi nods and looks back over at the trio to see the tallest of them staring at him, dark eyes staring intently.

The dark haired boy stares at him as if he's trying to figure something out. Itachi leans forward onto the table, staring back at him, he reaches up under his neck to touch his necklace, twirling one of the three rings. The two stare at one another for a long moment before Itachi smiles charming, feeling pleasure wash over him when the boy looks away.

He turns his attention away to see that the song had ended and Rin and Obito were making their way back over to him. Both are sweating and winded. They drop into their seats. Obito sucks in a lungful of air and asks, "Whatcha want?"

Itachi nods over the Uchiha's shoulder to the three making their way over to a table not too far from them. Ten feet at the most. Obito turns to look, following his gaze. It lands on the table and he makes a noise of confusion before he turns back to Itachi with high eyebrows. "Nice eye."

Rin looks around. "What do you mean?"

"That boy over there at that table is an Uchiha," Itachi says. "Dark hair. He's with the blond boy and the pink haired girl."

Rin turns around in her seat and scans the room. Her eyes land on the table and she spins around, eyes wide. "Oh my god, that's the girl, Obito!"

She gets a blank stare in response. She shakes her head at him, eyes still wide. After a few long moments of silence, Obito finally says, "What girl are we talking about?"

"The pink haired girl," Rin says blandly.

Obito gives her a look. "I know that, but where do we know her from?"

"Not you, me," Rin says. Obito makes an 'oh' face, looking over at Itachi and shrugging as Rin continues, "My boss, Tsunade, that's her granddaughter and said to be the one to take over the hospital by the age of thirty-five." Rin's eyes are huge. "People at the hospital said she was nice, and had unmistakable pink hair. I didn't think they meant it literally. Her hair is pink!"

"I see that," Obito says. "So what does that mean for us?"

Rin bounces in her seat, a blush of excitement working it's way across her already flushed skin. "We should go talk to her. Or, maybe we shouldn't. What if she doesn't want people talking to her that know her grandmother? What if she's actually not all that nice? What if I get fired for talking to her? But if I don't, am I missing an opportunity to get in good with the boss?" Rin's forehead hits the table hard, making both Itachi and Obito flinch. "What do I do, Obito?"

The Uchiha shrugs. "I don't know. Go say hi, introduce yourself. If it looks like it might turn sour, leave."

Rin shakes her head. "I can't."

Obito gives her a look before sighing and turning back to Itachi. "Okay. So, have you spoken with that brother of mine?"

Itachi nods. "Yeah, he said he'll be there Friday. He just hasn't gotten around to RSVP-ing yet. But he said put him down. He'll be a little late, though."

Obito waves that off. "No, it's fine. Shisui was never one to be on top of things, you probably reminded him and he gave you that shit answer to hide his ignorance." Obito rolls pitch black eyes.

"Obito," Rin whines.

"Rin," Obito whines back, reaching out to ruffle her long brown hair. "Come one, just do it. I'll go with you if you want-"

"Yes!" Rin says, jumping up. She grabs Obito's arm and tugs him to his feet. Obito sends Itachi a begging look and the long haired man smiles back kindly. He nods and stands as well, much to the Uchiha's relief. He follows the tense girl over to their table and stands back so that she can speak.

Rin shifts nervously when all three pairs of eyes turn to her. She squeezes Obito's hand so tightly between his that he flinches, but he doesn't pull away. He's loyal like that. "Um," Rin says slowly. "A-Are you the granddaughter of Tsunade Senju?" She asks the girl. For a moment the girl looks curious, then she smiles friendly, standing up and offering a hand.

"I am. Sakura Haruno. And you are a patient of my grandmother's?" she asks. Rin barely has it in her right mind to reach out and shake the girl's hand.

She shakes her head slowly. "N-No. I'm one of the nurses at her hospital. Rin Nohara."

The girl-Sakura, very befitting considering her hair-shakes her hand firmly, not seeming to notice Rin's stutter or her shaking. Rin was so sweet, Itachi thought, and was easily intimidated. He just hoped this girl wouldn't turn out to be nasty. Studying her now, up close, she didn't seem malicious or to be pulling Rin along. She was just genuinely friendly.

Or so Itachi hoped.

"It's nice to meet you, Rin, how long have you been working for my grandmother?" Sakura asks, sitting down.

"A few months," Rin admits. "Almost half a year. I'm interning right now so I'm nothing important but I'm really honored to have been accepted into her program." Sakura nods in understanding.

"Grandma's a little scary isn't she?" Sakura laughs at Rin's spastically shaking head, Itachi wondered if it was going to fly off her shoulders, but she stopped before it could. Sakura waves her politeness away. "Don't let her scare you, though, she is nice. A little hard to get along with, but once she sees that you are genuine and hard working, you'll be fine."

Rin nods, relaxing a little. Obito finally pries his hand from hers and wiggles his fingers, closing it into a fist and opening it again.

"That sounds like someone we know," the blond says, grinning to the dark haired Uchiha on the girl's other side, that Itachi didn't notice was staring at him intently. But, as per usual with Uchiha, he doesn't miss a beat.

"Sure does," he says in a low voices, eyes still locked on Itachi's. The long haired man has to wonder if his glasses glinted the light, or if he could see Itachi's strange gray eyes.

"I'm Naruto Namikaze, by the way," the blond says, giving a little wave. His smile is toothy and very friendly. Ah, so he's the son of the Hokage. Itachi knew he looked familiar.

"Sasuke Uchiha," the dark haired boy says, finally pulling his eyes away from Itachi to Obito. "Cousin."

Obito nods. "Yeah, hey, Sasuke. For those of you who don't know; I'm Obito Uchiha."

Naruto looks at Sasuke curiously. Sasuke gives him a level look. "His dad is my dad's brother. We're closely related but he's twelve years older than us. Thirty this year?" Sasuke says. Obito nods.

"Friday, actually."

Sasuke nods. "Yes, I remember. My parents want to drop in before your friends show up to give you their gift. They said something about four-forty or four-fifty, if I recall. Mom said they'll be quick."

Obito smiles. "Let Auntie Mikoto know that she doesn't have to do that. Everyone is welcome. They can stay as long as they like."

Sasuke adjusts in his seat, nodding slowly. "Sure." His eyes slide past his cousin to Itachi, dark eyes endless. "And who are you?"

The corner of Itachi's mouth quirks. He wants to know his name. Interesting. Either he was raised very properly, or he's curious about him. Time to see. Itachi shakes his head. "Just a friend of Obito's." A muscle in the young Uchiha's forehead twitches and Itachi smiles pleasantly. He touches Obito's shoulder, getting the older man to look at him. "I'm going to head out. I'll see you at your party Friday."

"Okay, see you," Obito says.

"Bye!" Rin waves, then decides to step away to give Itachi a hug. She kisses his cheek before pulling back and smiling lightly. "Drive home safe."

"I will," Itachi says softly, eyes flickering over the clearly annoyed younger Uchiha. Itachi nods respectfully. "Young master." He turns on his heel and stalks toward the door, only stopping to drop some money onto his table to pay for his portion of the food and drink, before leaving. He doesn't turn to look back to be sure, but he can feel the young Uchiha's gaze on his back.

Itachi has no wish to deal with children who are unsure of their sexuality. It was clear from the way the young boy watched him that he was interested in Itachi, but also a little nervous. He's not sure if a man is really what he wants and Itachi doesn't much like playing around, especially with kids. Although, luckily for Itachi, if this Sasuke does express in showing up to the party and perusing him, then maybe he'll play with the cute kid for a while.

Itachi shakes his head, running a hand through the long, thin locks. Obito would be annoyed with Itachi if he was playing around with his under-aged cousin. But then again, Obito knows Itachi. He's too... alluring for his own good. Itachi is very aware of his affect on people. The girls swoon over his long eyelashes and deep voice and the boy love his tall and skinny build and effeminate features.

* * *

Once Friday rolls around, Itachi meets up with his best friend, Shisui, Obito's little brother, only three years older than Itachi, and the two head to Obito and Rin's house. Itachi sits quietly in the passenger seat as Shisui blabbers on and on from one topic to another, not really noticing the other's lack of participation in the conversation, but that was just them. They are thick as thieves, have been for a long time now. Since Itachi was thirteen and Obito was sixteen.

"He's going to do it tonight," Shisui says, pulling Itachi from his thoughts. He was staring blankly at the clock on the radio, 7:54, it said. They were way late. Obito is going to kill Shisui.

"What did you say?" Itachi says, looking over at his best friend.

Shisui grins, glancing over at Itachi for a moment before turning his attention back to the road. "I said, he's going to ask Rin to marry him tonight. He showed me the ring. It's beautiful."

Itachi smiles. "That's good for him. He's been in love with her forever and they've been dating for five years now. It's about time, if you ask me."

Shisui nods. "My mom and dad have been praying for this their entire lives."

Itachi looks out the window, tilting his head slightly. "Isn't it strange we've been friends for so long and I've never met your parents?" Shisui makes a scoffing noise at that, looking over at Itachi for just a moment before turning his eyes back to the road.

"I've never met your parents either, Itachi," Shisui says, smiling.

Itachi closes his eyes, reaching up to pull his glasses off and then rub his face, tiredly."That makes two of us. I was abandon so long ago, I don't remember their faces or even their voices. All I remember is the tune of a lullaby my mother used to sing to me. I guess. Over the years, it's been getting harder to really remember what it was like." Itachi lets out a long winded sigh. "How much is true memory? How much is just made up in my own mind?"

"Oh yeah," Shisui says, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry man. You were born in the Land of Rain, right?"

"During the war between Konoha and Ame," Itachi says. "At least, that's where I remembering being at the end of the war, kami... over ten years ago. I was ten when the war ended."

"Thirteen," Shisui murmurs. "Then where did you go again?"

"Suna for two years, then I was sent here because of the education," Itachi says, wiping the fingerprints from the lens before slipping it back on. "Thankfully." The two young men smile at each other. Shisui reaches out and flicks some of Itachi's long hair before turning back to the road.

"I don't get along with my old man all that well," Shisui admits, "He never approves of my friends, so I just never bothered bringing you around. Obito and I like people that he can't stand and he constantly talks bad about them. So I've begun hiding my friends from them long ago. If they're there today, I'll introduce you if it means so much to you." The two sit in silence the rest of the way to Obito and Rin's house. There is a ton of cars parked out front.

Itachi finally turns to Shisui after the older man turns his car off. "If you are that against it, don't worry. It's not like it matters to me much whether I'm liked or not by them." He shrugs and opens the door and steps out of the car. The air is cool against his face. It feels nice as opposed to how warm it's been for the last couple of weeks.

Shisui falls into step next to Itachi as the two make it back the chattering people on the yard and into the air conditioned house. They are greeted at the door by Rin. She's wearing a long sun dress. She pulls Shisui into her arms immediately, kissing his cheek. He picks her up and spins her around before letting her down. She giggles, pulling away.

"Oh, Rin, love of my life, what would Obito say about our not-so-secret love affair?" Shisui jokes.

Rin shakes her head and slaps his chest. "He'd kill you."

Shisui nods, looking upset. "Yeah, and I'm his baby brother. What a colossal asshole." He keeps that upset look for a moment longer, before grinning broadly. Rin shakes her head again before turning to Itachi.

"I'm so glad that you're here, Itachi." She hugs him close too.

"Sorry we're late," Itachi murmurs, hugging her back.

Rin waves his words away. "Don't worry about it, Itachi. I know it was all of Shisui's fault," she says in her feather soft voice, winking at Shisui's grunt. "Just come in and enjoy the party. Obito is in the back with Sasuke."

With that she turns and walks away, deeper into the house, leaving the two behind to follow. Shisui scratches his messy black hair, tilting his head. "Sasuke's here?" he asks to no one. Then he realizes Itachi staring back at him and he explains, "I don't think I've ever seen Sasuke express any sort of attention to family. I mean, yeah, he and I are cool and he like Obito more than me anyway, but still... it's weird." He shrugs.

Itachi feels a smile tug at the corner of his mouth as he makes his way into the house, feeling a shiver of pleasure create goosebumps along his arms. "I think I know what he's here for," he murmurs to no one. He heads toward the back of the house, wondering just how hard to get he's going to be playing with the young and confused Uchiha boy.


	2. Party

**Author's Note: And here is another chapter! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Warning: None, well, maybe language.**

**Word Count: 4,178**

_He stepped away, he had to. He couldn't take the nervous glances around the room. Sasuke avoiding his gaze and vice versa. He just stood up and walked away, Mikoto got to her feet quickly, calling after him, but he couldn't stop, not yet. Not now. He finds himself outside, the air is cool, it's getting close to fall. The leaves have already began to change colors._

_Itachi drops to his hunches and runs his hands through his hair. People walk around him but they don't stop to see what's up, and he's thankful for that. He runs his hands up and down his arms. Itachi stands back up and walks over to the nearest wall and slides down it. He rubs the back of his neck and sighs, pulling out his phone and dialed Shisui's number. He drops his head and listens to it ring._

_"Hello?" Shisui says. "What's up, dude?"_

_Itachi runs his fingers through his hair, sighing really heavily. He pulls off his glasses and lays them down next to him. He lays his head down onto his knees, reaching with his free hand to rub the back of his neck. "Something really bad has happened, Shisui. Really bad."_

* * *

Itachi was having more fun than he probably should have. He's been skirting around Obito's party staying just out of the young Uchiha's grasp. After another successful avoiding of the young boy, Itachi makes his way back to the car to grab his gift he forgot before. After a half hour, Itachi chases down Obito and jabs him in the spine with his pointer finger, making the older man jump. He turns around to grin at Itachi. The younger dark haired man grins in amusement at the face paint all over the Uchiha's face. It looks like a messy lion.

"Nice face," Itachi says.

Obito laughs. "Thanks. Hey, thanks for coming."

"You're welcome," Itachi says, holding out his small gift. "Open it here instead of in front of everyone. It's nothing much." Obito looks down at the small, nicely wrapped box before smiling up softly to the shorter, long haired man.

"Thanks man, but you didn't have to get me anything," Obito says, making to open the box.

Itachi shrugs lightly. "I know. But I wanted to. Shisui told me that you are going to pop the question tonight, I wanted to give this to you and her." He watches as Obito pauses for a moment at his words then shakes his head, making a mental note to strangle his little brother later. Itachi smiles, knowing that look well, and watches as the birthday boy opens his gift and looks inside.

Obito skims over the piece of paper inside and grins broadly. "Dude, she is going to flip shit. Do you have any idea how long she's wanted you to paint us?" Itachi smiles faintly, shrugging a single shoulder.

"I just don't like doing portraits, but I know she likes them, may as well bite the bullet this once. I'm sorry that I couldn't give you anything better."

Obito waves his hand around dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I didn't really expect gifts. I just wanted a party." He shrugs. "Does that mean my good-for-nothing baby brother is around here somewhere?"

Itachi raises an eyebrow. "He hasn't been around to see you yet? I bet he's too busy flirting with your girlfriend."

Obito rolls his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. I'd better go find him. Thanks for this, Itachi." He holds up the slip of paper. "I mean it. Rin will love it." Itachi nods and waves for him to go and find his brother. He turns and is immediately spotted by a cat Konan. She waves for him to come over, she's got splatters of paint all over her hands but managed to keep it away from her clothes.

"Hey, Itachi, let me paint a face on you," she says, pulling him into the chair in front of her without waiting for him to reply. "What do you want?" He shakes his head.

"Whatever you want," he says thoughtfully. Konan grins.

"Excellent," she murmurs under her breath before setting to work. She dabs her brush into the black paint and begins to color in Itachi's nose. His eyes trail over her shoulder to the approaching young Uchiha.

"Good evening," Itachi says softly. Konan twists around for a moment to see who Itachi was talking to. She waves at him half-heartedly with her paintbrush, sending a few drops flying. Sasuke manages to avoid them. He waves back just as half-hearted before turning his attention to Itachi. The older man is able to appreciate the long sleeve stark white dress shirt the younger is wearing, rolled up at the sleeves to his elbows with black slacks and shoes. The top two buttons are undone and it's untucked.

"You too," Sasuke says, looking Itachi up and down. The older is in dark wash jeans and sneakers with a nice, black short sleeve button up shirt also missing the top two buttons, with one side of the shirt tucked into the pants and a black belt with a plain rectangle buckle.

"Glasses," Konan says and Itachi reaches up, removing his glasses per her command. Everything goes blurry, so he just closes his eyes. He and Konan launch into small talk about how the kids she teaches at the community center in town are doing while she worked. Part of the way through Konan's gushing, Itachi wondered if Sasuke had wondered away, but then the boy made an inquiry on what exactly she taught and that launched her into a rant about how she teaches community kids different forms of art.

Her specialty is origami. The kids were fascinated at it. So then she gets into that for a good fifteen minutes before finally finishing up Itachi's face mask. That's when Konan asks if Sasuke wanted his face painted too, to which he politely declines.

"Okay," Konan says, turning back to Itachi. "Keep your glasses off for a few minutes so that your face can dry."

Itachi nods, turning his attention to the blurry figure of Sasuke. "Does that mean you will be my escort for a few minutes?"

"Sure," Sasuke says in his low voice. Itachi stands up. Sasuke hesitates for a moment before offering his arm, Itachi smiles softly before taking it and following the younger man. "We should go inside, it's cooler in there."

Itachi nods and they head inside. There are only a few other people milling around, getting out of the heat. People are walking and talking in the kitchen so the two of them make their way into the living room. A single guy is talking on his phone in the hall. Itachi and Sasuke both lower themselves onto the couch in silence. Neither say anything for a few minutes, just relaxing in each other's presence.

"What's my paint look like?" Itachi finally asks softly. The blurry figure looks up at him and, after a moment of hesitation, he reaches out and cups Itachi's chin and turns his face left and then right before making a humming sound.

"It's a dog," he says.

Itachi smiles thinly. "Is it cute?"

Sasuke doesn't answer right away, his breath hitches slightly before he says, very softly, "Yeah. I think it is."

"Good," Itachi says, reaching up slightly to probe his face, feeling the paint to see if it's dry yet. It's close enough in Itachi's opinion so he slips on his glasses and blinks a few times to focus his eyes. Itachi looks at Sasuke and a slow grin works it's way across his face. "You are very interesting, Sasuke Uchiha."

Sasuke stares back at him with endless black eyes. He leans toward Itachi ever so slightly. "As are you. I still have yet to learn your name, though. It appears you play this game a lot. No one here will disclose who you are." He doesn't sound angry, or annoyed, in fact; if anything, he sounds a bit aroused by it. Like the mere mystery alone is enough to perk his interest.

Itachi nods very slowly, leaning in closer to the younger man. "It is. Most people here who do know me, know me well enough to know that I enjoy playing with people. Manipulating them, if you will. Do you wish to know why that is exactly?" Sasuke hums, leaning in a little closer. Itachi brushes his lips against the younger boy's just slightly. "I enjoy the chase."

Sasuke hums lightly against Itachi's lips and the older of the two smiles playfully. Sasuke's breath is warm across Itachi's face as the younger whispers, "Can you tell me your name?"

Itachi lets out a puff of air from his nose. "I thought you were going to ask me to kiss you."

Sasuke's lips part to reveal two rows of pearly white teeth. "That to, but I'd kind of like to know who I'm kissing before I actually do the act."

This time Itachi hums, pulling his face away slightly to look up at the younger boy with gray eyes. He tilts his head back and forth slowly, considering. "Why should I tell you? What does it matter to you who I am? You're not even sure if this is what you want. A man, I mean." He smiles meaningfully to the boy, seeing his eyebrows pull together.

"You don't know me," Sasuke says, slightly offended.

Itachi shrugs. "I don't have to. I can see the nervousness in your actions. This certainly isn't the first time you've been with someone, so I would assume you've had girlfriends before this, perhaps one with pink hair...?" Itachi says, raising an eyebrow playfully. Sasuke grunts and looks away. "You're too handsome young Uchiha to have not had a girl under you at one time or another."

Sasuke's black eyes flicker back over at his words. "And you? Have you had many girls beneath you?"

Itachi tilts his head. "A few. Even a few boys." Sasuke's black eyes grow even darker. "But I, myself, have been under men myself," Itachi says slowly then cracks a smile. "And one really freaky lady."

Sasuke's lips quirk up in amusement at that ever so slightly. "So you've been around the block a few times." Itachi wiggles his eyebrows a bit and Sasuke reaches out a pushes a strand of long black hair behind his ear. "You enjoy being chased, huh?" Itachi nods, not minding the hand that is lightly caressing his cheek. The feather light touches of finger prints going down the side of his face, around the curve of his jaw and down the side of his neck.

"I don't like to waste my time," Itachi says simply. "I date. Sometimes there is the occasional one night stand but most of the time it's dating for me. If someone is interesting enough and is interested in me in more than just a fuck session, then I lead them on for a bit, see what they are like. And you, Sasuke Uchiha, fit comfortably in my cute gay virgin category."

Sasuke quirks an eyebrow at that. "I wouldn't say cute, gay or virgin."

Itachi shrugs again. "You don't have to. This would be your first experience with a man, and let's be honest," he leans in close, running a hand under the bottom of Sasuke's shirt. His hand runs over the taut muscles of the younger boy's abdomen. Sasuke tenses up, his entire body going rigid. Sasuke's eyes flicker closed and holds his breath. "This is not a woman's hand touching you. Can you understand that?"

Sasuke blushes very faintly, his breath coming out thinly. "Yeah..."

Itachi kisses Sasuke under the ear and along the neck slowly before pulling away. Sasuke takes a moment to collect himself be opening his eyes to stare at Itachi, curiously.

"Itachi Hatake," the older of the two says, standing up slowly. "That's my name."

"Itachi," Sasuke says his name slowly. "I like it."

The long haired man reaches out and pets back Sasuke's hair. "Maybe someday you and I will talk, but for now, I think you need to decide what you really want. Cool?" That didn't look like it flied all that well with Sasuke but he didn't comment, only nod solemnly. He gets up a moment later, straightening out his slightly ruffled shirt before following Itachi back outside, getting blasted in the face with hot air, made Itachi smile.

"So how do you know Obito?" Sasuke asks, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Itachi closes the door behind the blue haired boy. "I met him through Shisui. I met Shisui through a mutual friend that neither of us have any longer. I was around thirteen at the time. That's when I was adopted by my foster parents."

Sasuke suddenly looks uncomfortable. "I'm... sorry. I didn't know."

Itachi waves his hand around dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It's not like you could've known unless I said something. Besides, it's not like it's your fault. I've been an orphan all my life." Itachi runs a hand through his thin hair and after a moment of debate he pulls his hair back into an elastic prison at the nape of his neck. "So what grade are you in?" He laughs, looking over at Sasuke. "In the least creepy way someone who's no longer in school can ask."

Sasuke huffs with a touch of mirth. "I'm a senior this year. I'll be graduating in March of next year."

Itachi nods slowly when he hears someone calls out to him. Itachi turns to see Shisui walking toward Sasuke and him with a froggy mask painted over his face. He gives Sasuke a wave before turning his attention back to the long haired man. "My parents are here. Do you want to meet them? My mom will love your... fox face?"

"It's a dog, I think," Itachi says, sending a look to the younger Uchiha, hoping he isn't being mislead. Sasuke nods and then shrugs.

"Awesome," Shisui says. "So do you want to meet them, they're over with Rin and Obito. Dad will be nice with Rin around. He and mom want her into the family. They want grandkids bad." Shisui rolls his eyes. "So, you want to go?"

Itachi shrugs. "I was just inquiring earlier, Shisui, if you really don't want me to meet them you don't have to."

Shisui waves his hands around. "I don't know. A part of me doesn't want you to be critisized like most of my other friends, but at the same time, maybe you'll be special." Shisui doesn't look too hopeful of the idea but he offers a crooked smile. "Maybe?"

"Maybe," Itachi echos. "So which of yours and Obito's friends does your parents like?"

Shisui scratches his cheek, peeling some of the paint off. "Um, mine? They like Yugao, oh! And they like Hayate. Mom likes to fawn over Hayate 'cause he's sick all the time. And of Obito's friends..." Shisui squints past Itachi in thought before his face falls into a bland look. "Hidan. Of all of my brother's friends, they like Hidan."

Itachi's eyebrows raise high. "Hidan," he repeats, not so sure he heard correctly. "You said Hidan."

Shisui purses his lips. "Yeah, I guess he acts like an angel around the house and my parents think he's exotic. That's cause they don't know he's a stubbed toe away from going completely psycho." Itachi snorts loudly but can't help agreeing with that. "I just don't get it," Shisui continues, "they like the weirdest of our friends. Like Konan, they hate because of her piercings." Shisui shakes his head. "Anyway, want to go? I wouldn't blame you if you didn't."

"No," Itachi says, "it's fine. I'll meet them."

Shisui nods and waves for him to follow. They weave their way through the crowd. Itachi feeling Sasuke following after. Like a puppy, Itachi couldn't help but think, wondering if the young Uchiha would give an indignant snort to that. Yes, Itachi's almost positive. Regardless of how off the kilter Shisui and Obito are as opposed to normal "Uchiha Behavior" Itachi has spent enough time around other Uchiha to know that there are some familial behavioral traits that they all share.

They find Shisui's parents where Shisui expected to. They were standing over by the mostly eaten birthday cake, talking about one thing or another as the trio approached. Shisui stops for a fraction of a second so Itachi could step up next to him before they made their way next to the two couples. The conversation among the four stop when they see the approaching trio stop next to them.

"Hi, guys," Rin says, waving her hand in welcome.

"Hey," Shisui says, grinning to the short girl before turning his attention to his parents. "Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet my friend Itachi." He makes a sweeping arm motion toward the long haired young man.

Itachi steps forward and offers his hand to Shisui and Obito's father. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Itachi Hatake." He shakes Shisui's mother's hand after that.

"I am Kaumi Uchiha," Obito and Shisui's father says, looking Itachi over with a critical eye.

"And I am Tamahiko Uchiha," Obito and Shisui's mother says.

Kaumi Uchiha looks Itachi up and down. "And how did you meet Shisui?"

"Through a mutual friend we shared in school," Itachi says, pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. He reaches out and pulls his hair over his shoulder and smoothes it down. "I met Obito not too long after and we too became friends. Obito went to school with my older brother. I would like to say that I'm surprised such mediocre looking boys would have such a beautiful mother."

Tamahiko smiles fondly. "Why thank you, dear."

"Ouch," Obito and Shisui say together, giving Itachi identical displeased looks. Itachi smiles charmingly at them.

"Auntie, Uncle," Sasuke greets.

"Sasuke," Kaumi says, turning his critical eye to his nephew. "How are you doing? Anything new with your parents?"

Sasuke shakes his head. "Same old, same old, Uncle."

"Itachi," Tamahiko says thoughtfully, turning to the gray eyed young man. "What a fascinating name."

Brushing some of the hair from his face, Itachi pulls his charming gaze to the plumper woman. He nods to her. "Yes, ma'am. It was the only thing I had when I was found in the Land of Rain."

"Found?" Tamahiko echos. "What does that mean?"

"I was abandon there as a little boy, maybe a baby. Locals found me with a broken leg and two broken ribs. This was during war time. They believe the village I was born in was destroyed during one of the battles." Itachi closes his eyes, wrapping his arms over his chest.

Tamahiko nods sadly. "I'm very sorry, dear."

Itachi shakes his head. "Don't worry about it, ma'am. I don't remember any of it so I can't really hold a grudge." He shrugs. "It's in the past. Nothing much I can do about it now. Best to let bygones be bygones."

Kaumi nods slowly. "Very mature."

"That's Itachi for you," Shisui says, throwing an arm over Itachi's shoulder. "He's the very definition of maturity."

"Yeah," Obito says coyly, rolling his eyes. "Itachi is mature in ever sense of the word."

* * *

Itachi locks the door behind him and walks down the hall and into the living room. Itachi stops in the doorway into the dim room and tilts his head slightly. Iruka lay draped across the couch, a book on his chest and the lamp next to him the only source of light other than the light shining in from the kitchen. Itachi walks in and gently pulls the book off of Iruka's chest, marks the page and lays it down on the table next to the lamp.

Someone snaps their finger. Itachi glances up to see Kakashi holding out a blanket. Itachi takes it and drapes it across his sleeping guardian's body. After making sure Iruka is properly covered up, he follows Kakashi into the kitchen. There is a sandwich on a plate in front of Kakashi when he lowers himself into the seat at the head of the table.

"Did he stay up waiting for me?" Itachi asks, nodding toward the living room.

Kakashi nods, taking a bite out of his sandwich. He takes a minute to thoroughly chew up his bite and swallow before answering, "Yeah. You know him, ever the worry wort." Kakashi reaches up and rubs his face tiredly. "How was the party tonight? How is Rin and Obito doing?"

"They're good. Got engaged tonight," Itachi says. He looks over and plays around with the doily in the center of the table.

Kakashi's eyebrow quirks. "It's about time. I'm sorry I couldn't get off work to see him. I was able to call him on my break to wish him a happy birthday. Iruka and I are going out to have lunch with him and Rin tomorrow as a little, more personal celebration for what I thought was his birthday. But now I bet it's for his engagement. Oh well. Lunch is still lunch regardless of the topic discussed at it." Kakashi shrugs again, taking another bite.

Itachi leans onto his hand, elbow resting on the table. "I guess so. Have fun on your double date tomorrow."

Kakashi nods. "Thanks," he says around another bite of food. "So, did you at least have fun tonight?" Kakashi reaches out and picks a little bit of dried paint off of Itachi's cheek. "Let me guess: a fox?"

Itachi's eyebrows pull together. "No, it's a... you know what? Never mind. Yeah, it's a fox. I'm going to shower and head to bed, it's almost midnight and I'm sweaty and gross."

Kakashi grunts. "Alright, you have fun with that."

Itachi stands up slowly, rolling his eyes. "I will. Tell Iruka that I'm not a baby so he can stop waiting up for me."

Kakashi sighs. "I will, but you know him. He just worries about you, Itachi. You're not the easiest person to get a read on. Try and take it easy on him, would you? He just cares a little louder than I do." He gives Itachi a meaningful look, hoping to get his message across.

"I know," Itachi says softly, rubbing off more dried paint pieces. "And I'm not mad at him or at all, really. It's just a little tedious. I'm fine. I'll let you both know if I wasn't. I'm not asking him not to care, in fact," Itahci smiles faintly, "it's flattering that he's willing to go this far for me. I don't think I've ever really told him that." He stretches his back, listening to the series of cracks down his spine.

Kakashi nods slowly. "Okay, well, I get it, and so does he. Have a good night, okay?"

"You too," Itachi says softly, turning and heading past the living room to see that Iruka is still asleep, and heads up the stairs, down the hall and into his room. He quickly gathers a new t-shirt and pajama pants and boxers before heading back down the hall to the bathroom. He turns on the shower and quickly strips down bare and steps under the cold spray.

He lets out a shuttering breath but keeps himself there until it warms up. Then he makes quick work of cleaning off the rest of his face and then his body and lastly his hair. Once all the soap is washed from his body, he turns the water off and climbs out and quickly dresses, not minding his wet hair soaking the back of his shirt as he throws his dirty clothes into the laundry room before heading to his bedroom.

Itachi turns on the ceiling fan and climbs under the covers and curls up onto his side, closing his eyes. Beneath his eyelids all he can see is a pair of beautiful, endless black eyes.


	3. Bond at the club

**Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait! I've been busy working on some other things. People seem to be showing a bit of interest in this, so I think I'll keep giving it a whirl, see if I get anymore feedback. This chapter gets a bit sensitive near the end. My complete thoughts on suicide on not conveyed in this story, nor do I wish to make a debate about it. I would like to know what you think about the story in general. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Warning: Language, kissing amongst boys, and talk of suicide.**

**Word Count: 4,664**

_"What happened?" Shisui asks softly. Itachi runs his hand through his hair again, fingers getting stuck on his hair tie. Itachi rips the tie out and wraps it around his wrist, not at all caring about the long strands of black hair half coiled around the tie. He doesn't say anything for the longest time, just listening to the light sound of Shisui breathing. Finally, his best friend murmurs, "Are you okay, buddy?"_

_"I did something really bad," he repeats, muttering angrily under his breath. Itachi didn't know. There was no way he could have known. He felt so stupid now. He should have known, all the signs were there. It's like all the stars alined to make this the most uncomfortable, horrible experience in the entire world. Something in his gut told him not to play around with Sasuke, but he couldn't bring himself to listen. There was an attachment there. A bond between the two of them. It seemed so wonderful at the time only for it now to turn sour and disgusting in Itachi's mouth._

_Shisui's quiet for a long time. Finally, he asks, "Where are you? I'll come get you."_

* * *

Itachi had that dream again that night. The dream where hands were all over him. Familiar, yet strange hands. They were touching him in places that he allowed others to touch him, but this was the first memory. He allowed people to touch him in these places as a way to try and remember more about these hands. It's been so long since he's felt those hands, yet the memory is still there. It's vague but he's had the dream for so long. At one point, Itachi was sure it was a woman's hand all over him, then not long after, he became so sure that it was a man.

But now he doesn't know. He's not even sure it's a memory. It's probably just something that was made up in his mind when he was young. Itachi opens his eyes, unable to stop the tingling around his body. Itachi sits up slowly and runs his fingers through his hair, it's a little damp from where he slept on it. He rolls his shoulders back before raising his arms up over his head to stretch out. He reaches over and grabs his glasses off the nightstand and stands up.

When he heads down the stairs, Iruka is up and about alternating between making breakfast and reading over some school papers. It's strange to Itachi that he seems to be surrounding himself with teachers. Konan, Iruka, Yahiko is a martial arts teacher in the local dojo. It's crazy. They are all three so different in their own ways and yet they all share the passion for teacher. Itachi's not sure if he would ever be able to handle over ten children around him at once, like Konan. Let alone little brats wanting to kick the shit out of each other, like Yahiko. He wouldn't even want to deal with moody asshole teenagers like Iruka did every day all day. Itachi is content with his peace.

"Morning," Itachi says, leaning on the doorway into the kitchen.

Iruka looks over at him and smiles. "Good morning, Itachi. I didn't hear you come in last night."

Itachi shakes his head, smiling softly. "You were out like a light on the couch. I told you that there is no reason for you to have to make sure I get home. I'll be fine." Iruka blushes, scratching at the scar on his nose sheepishly.

"I'm sorry. I know you aren't a little kid but I still worry. Don't be mad," he says.

The black haired boy rolls his eyes. Iruka knows he wouldn't get mad over something like that. "I'm not mad, Iruka, shut up."

Iruka laughs, laying down the paper he was reading and mashes up the eggs and pop bread into the toaster. "Sorry. So, Kakashi is still sleeping, would you go wake him up for me?"

Itachi nods and heads back upstairs, past his room to the room Kakashi and Iruka share at the end of the hall. It's cracked open and Itachi peaks inside. Kakashi is laying in the center of the bed on his stomach, limbs sprawled out, with his face buried in a pillow. Itachi gets a full view of Kakashi's bare back. He rolls his eyes playfully.

"You best not be naked, Kakashi," he teases walking to the foot of the bed and sitting down next to Kakashi's foot. Kakashi doesn't respond. Itachi smiles and reaches out and runs the nail of his pointer finger along the soft bridge of Kakashi's foot. It twitches a little and when he does it again, it jerks under the covers. Kakashi groans a bit but doesn't awaken. Itachi purses his lips. "Aniki?" He calls, tilting his head a little bit to the side, watching to prone form closely for any movement aside from the slight rippling of the muscles on his back when he shifts. "Wake up, aniki."

Silence.

"Iruka made eggs, Kakashi-nii."

A shift but no response. Itachi pulls his glasses off and lays them on the floor, slightly under the bed and out of harms way before slowly standing up on the mattress, making sure not to shake it too hard. "Wake up, Kakashi-nii, or I'm going to jump on you."

Kakashi shifts onto his side, bringing a hand up to shield his eyes from the light pouring in through the window. Itachi steps over his brother and jumps up and down, rocking the bed. "Wake up, Kakashi!"

"I'm awake!" Kakashi groans, turning around onto his back, reaching up and grabbing Itachi, pulling up down and onto his chest. Kakashi wraps his arms around him and holds him to his chest. "But I don't want to be. Goodnight."

Itachi struggles half heartedly, blowing some of his long hair from his face. He looks at Kakashi and squints a little at the blurry face of his older brother. "It's morning, Kakashi."

"Good morning, then..." Kakashi murmurs into Itachi's hair, slowly slipping back into slumber.

Itachi turns around in Kakashi's arms to look at his older brother. "Are you hungry? Iruka made breakfast."

Kakashi hums quietly, rubbing his eyes. He sits up and stretches, muscles rippling down his back. Itachi shakes his head and climbs off the bed and onto his feet. "I thought about pouncing on you, but you woke up too soon." Kakashi groans, running a hand through his wild gray hair.

"Well, sucks to be you," Kakashi says, squints at Itachi before tilting his head. "Where is your glasses?"

Itachi nods, rubbing his eyes. "I took them off to jump on you but alas..." he waves his hand around, smiling at the blurry form of his only living family. Itachi sits next to the pillow Kakashi was sleeping on as the gray haired man got up and looked around. Jiggling his legs as he looked around so his sweat pants that were riding up to his knees fell back down and smoothed out. "It should be on the ground on the right side," Itachi supplied, staring at the blurry figure in front of him.

"My right or your right?" Kakashi asks, facing Itachi, holding up his hands.

"Yours." Itachi watches Kakashi kneel down and lift the drooping blue covers from the hardwood floor to find Itachi's glasses.

"Got it," Kakashi says, standing up and handing over the black rimmed spectacles to the gray eyed boy. Itachi slips them on a blinks a few times to focus. Kakashi shakes his head, watching the movement. "God, your blind without those things. You're like that chick from the mystery show. The one that can't see worth a damn. What was her name? Velma?" Itachi nods.

"Guys, breakfast!" Iruka calls from the bottom of the stairs.

Itachi and Kakashi both share a look, smiling at each other before calling back, "Yes, mother!"

Iruka groans at their antics making them share a moment of silent laughter before heading down stairs for breakfast. Neither saying much. Kakashi pulls Iruka into a kiss, hands on his hips while Itachi smoothly slips by them to get to the fridge and grab the jar of jam for his toast. Itachi sits next to the head of the table and looks over at the empty spot. His mind wandering to the man that used to occupy it.

That was Sakumo's place. It was where, before each meal, he would sit and look around the table. He would insist that they all sit around and eat together as a family. But now the seat is unoccupied and no one would dare sit onto it. But as what had become morning routine, Kakashi places an empty mug with Itachi and Kakashi's name written on it in glazed finger paint from the christmas of Itachi's second year with them, right next to the spot without even thinking about it. It was his mug and he used it every morning to drink his morning coffee.

"Good morning, Tou-san," Itachi murmurs to the empty cup before turning away to his brother and his brother's boyfriend.

* * *

Itachi is let out of his last college class for the day the Monday following Obito's party. He stretches in his seat waiting for the majority of the crowd to make it out of the room before following after. He makes it out into the little cafe just off campus and drops his back pack onto the floor, grabbing out his text books and laying them around on the table. He orders a water and a basket of fries when the waitress comes around.

He gets to work immediately on his homework, keeping an eye on the clock until about nine before speeding off to the grocery store to work. He's there until three in the morning before heading home and sleeping in until seven thirty before repeating the process of his every day life. Go to school, go to the cafe to do homework, go to work or go home depending on the day.

But occasionally, or perhaps more often then not, Itachi will find himself back in the club, depending on the day of the week, grinding away or just watching people dance. Or looking for his next fling. It was the Wednesday following Obito's party that Itachi was in the club and his newest plaything appeared at the end of his table, looking very pleased to see him.

Itachi smiles up at him. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Sasuke says, taking the seat next to the older boy when he nods to it.

"Fancy seeing you here," Itachi says, tilting his head curiously at the young Uchiha. "Do you come here often?"

Sasuke shrugs, leaning back in his chair. "Not really, this isn't really my thing, but those two love it." He nods over to the dance floor to reveal the pink haired girl and the Hokage's son spin around and dancing like they are the only two people in the entire world. Itachi can admire people like that. Willing to dedicate their focus so solely on one person. Itachi has to wonder if they are now involved. But maybe that's because he's nosey.

"So, Sasuke Uchiha," Itachi says, turning his gaze back to the younger of the two, "what is 'your thing'?"

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders. "Somewhere that isn't as loud as here."

Itachi looks around the room thoughtfully. Taking in the dim lights around the tables while the lights are bright and flashing on the dance floor. The swaying, sweating bodies of all the people on the dance floor as opposed to the stillness surrounding the two boys. Itachi closes his eyes, listening to an unfamiliar song. The air conditioning is blasting, trying to cool down the people dancing under the flashing lights. Swaying to the beat of the drums.

Something feather light touches his cheek. Itachi opens his eyes and turns to look at the boy gently caressing his cheek with the pad of his pointer finger. Itachi tilts head a bit but doesn't dislodge the boy's hand.

"Is this how the Uchiha woo their prey? A gentle caress?" Itachi smiles in amusement, leaning closer. "All the girls must be pudding in your grasp."

Sasuke snorts, shaking his head. "Something like that, I guess."

Itachi tilts his head a little bit. "Have you given any thought of what I said before? Are you still interested in being with a man?" He blinks slowly, looking at the younger boy through his eyelashes.

Sasuke nods slowly. "I want to try. You are... beautiful." Sasuke gorgeous black eyes stare back at Itachi, like he truly believes his words. Itachi tilts his head a little more, smiling less seductively and more kindly. Sasuke's long eyelashes cast shadows against his pale cheeks in the dim light. It wasn't exactly what he wanted but it was a step. "So, what now?" Sasuke asks softly, as if trying to pull himself out from under some kind of spell Itachi didn't know he casted on the younger boy. Itachi always did like have someone fawning over him. It gave them less of a chance of leaving him.

"Now?" Itachi says sweetly, smiling softly at the boy as he stands up and steps over to him. "I give you a slight taste of what being with me is like." Itachi helps Sasuke scoot out his chair before stradling the younger boy and pushing his lips firmly against the high schooler's. Sasuke's hands fall to Itachi's hips, pulling him into a more comfortable position before keeping them there and holding him in place.

Itachi smiles against Sasuke's lips. Sasuke's definitely not inexperienced. Itachi pulls back a bit to kiss along the younger boy's cheeks and then along his jaw before going down the side of his neck. Sasuke turns his head a bit to give Itachi more room, closing his eyes. Itachi pulls down the neckline of Sasuke's shirt to kiss his defined collar bones before finding the junction between Sasuke's neck and shoulder and sucking on the skin softly.

Sasuke's hands run up and down Itachi's sides before one travels up and tangles itself in the long tresses. After a few more seconds of Itachi kissing along his neck, Sasuke pulls his head back over to his and smashes their lips together. Everything was different with Itachi. The long haired boy was nothing like a woman. Where a woman would normally have soft areas, Itachi does not.

And Sasuke didn't have to worry about being soft and gentle with Itachi. He wasn't sensitive in the same way that a woman was. Itachi was moving against him roughly. Pressing something definitely not womanly against Sasuke's own pelvis. And when the older of the two presses his chest up against Sasuke's there is no mistaking the lack of breasts.

Sasuke groans into Itachi's mouth, causing the older boy to smile before his actions suddenly turn sweet and gently. His kisses become chaste and the almost painful grip the glasses wearing boy had on Sasuke's hand loosens and becomes gentle. He cups Sasuke's cheeks and kisses him softly before finally pulling away and smiling down at Sasuke, reaching up to push his glasses to the bridge of his nose. The two stare at each other, panting heavily.

"And that is the end," Itachi says, standing up and stepping back over to his seat to sit down, smiling at Sasuke. "For now," he adds, laughing quietly at the small tinge of red on the younger boy's face. Sasuke clears his throat and looks away. Itachi reaches out and grabs a fry from the fry basket and bites it in half, nodding for Sasuke to have some. After a hairs-breath hesitation, Sasuke takes one ketchup drizzled fry and eats it.

"Thanks."

After a few seconds of silence, Itachi eats the other half of his fry before saying, "Tell me about yourself."

Sasuke eats another fry, chews for a moment before swallowing. "Like what?" He asks, turning his attention away from the food to look at the long haired young man staring back at him through thick rimmed glasses.

Itachi shrugs a shoulder, grabbing another french fry and biting it in half. "Anything you're willing to share." Sasuke purses his lips, looking around, trying to find anything about himself that might interest the older of the two of them, but nothing comes to mind. It must have shown on his face, because Itachi smiles a little and asks, "How about you tell me about your family?"

That was a safe ground to tread. Sasuke eats another fry and once he's swallowed it, he says, "It's just me and my parents." A pause, then Sasuke's eyes lower a bit. "Well, I had a brother too. I don't remember him, though."

Itachi raises both of his eyebrows. "What... um, what happened to him?"

Sasuke's dark eyes reflect the flashing colorful lights on the dance floor. He looks lost in thought for a few minutes. Itachi didn't say anything. He didn't try to interrupt the boy's thoughts, just gave him space to put his mind in order. After three solid minutes of silence, Sasuke finally says, "I don't really know for sure. There was a lot of speculation. One night he was with my parents and I at some dinner party with family and friends and business partners and potential business partners. Mom turned away from him to take care of me and then he was gone. One moment there, gone the next." Sasuke shakes his head.

Itachi's eyebrows pull together. "But how is that? No one saw anything?"

Sasuke shakes his head again, running his hand through his hair. "Nothing. The police came but no one was able to figure out where he went. People were going in and out of the house for hours, they speculated that he just followed someone out. He was only like five at the time." Sasuke's eyes lower to the worn wooden table, running his fingers along the grooves of the wood. "That was a long time ago. They officially called off the search about two years of searching, but my parents... they still chase ghosts."

"They haven't given up on him," Itachi says softly. "How do you feel about it?"

Sasuke looks a little shocked at his words. Itachi is given the impression that no one had ever really asked the blue haired boy what he thought about the missing brother he doesn't even remember. Itachi can't even imagine how hard that had to be for him. Sasuke takes a moment to really think through his answer before he decides to just to tell the truth.

"I don't know," he says quietly. "All my life it's been about trying to find a brother I don;t even know. All we have are pictures from when he was a baby and from the only family photo of the four of us when I was born. Every year my parents get really quiet on his birthday, sometimes, for whatever reason, my mom would just cry. I have no idea what starts it, it just happens."

Itachi didn't know what to say, didn't know how to console a boy who's been living his entire life with parents who have looking for a child they lost a long time ago rather than to take care of the child they still had with them. Itachi didn't know if there was really any words that could be said in this situation that might make him feel better. Itachi had to wonder how long the young man was sitting on these feelings not sure how to find an outlet for them.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Itachi says.

Sasuke holds his hand up to stop the older of the two from saying anything else. He just shakes his head. "No, forget it. Sorry, that's kind of a heavy topic for our first real conversation," Sasuke says, letting loose a strained smile. "Tell me about your family."

Itachi nods in understanding. "Well, that isn't much of a lighter topic. I was adopted a couple of years ago by a man named Sakumo Hatake. Sakumo had a son a few years older than me named Kakashi." Sasuke opens his mouth and Itachi smiles. "Yes, the same Kakashi who's friends with Obito and Rin." Sasuke makes an 'o' shape with his mouth, looking relieved at the change in topic.

Itachi's eyes drift away a bit. "Kakashi is about seven years older than me. When I showed up, he was already an adult. I was only with Sakumo about a year before he killed himself." If Sasuke expected anything from that story, it wasn't that. His eyes widened in shock.

"He..." Sasuke says slowly, blinking slowly. "He committed suicide? But... but why?"

Itachi smiles ruefully. "I wonder." Itachi shakes his head and looks into Sasuke's eyes. "I think he got me for Kakashi. I think Sakumo wanted to kill himself for a long time. His wife died a few years before I got there and according to Kakashi, he was never the same again. I think Sakumo wanted nothing more than to be with the woman he loved, but didn't want to leave the child they both bore together alone. So he got me. And when Kakashi and I got along very well, he saw that as a sign that Kakashi no longer needed him. Kakashi and I would look over one another. We would be fine."

Sasuke's lips part as he shakes his head, eyes wide. "What about Kakashi...?"

"He took it hard. He was in college at the time," Itachi says. "He had to quit to come home and take care of his new little brother. His boyfriend, Iruka came too. They alternated schedules so both could take classes and work. It was really hard the first few years until they both graduated and got to working full time. Now the three of us live together."

"Dad," Itachi says, closing his eyes, seeing the bright, friendly smile on the face of the man who adopted him. Itachi knew he was friendly and had grown to love him over the short months they had known each other. But Itachi could also see the great sadness in his eyes. Sakumo had lost the will to live and even though Itachi didn't know the reasoning, he knew that the man fought hard every single day to stay alive until he was sure he could go.

Itachi didn't hate Sakumo for adopting him and then leaving him a little over a year later. In a way, Itachi knew that he wasn't there for Sakumo's sake, he wasn't even there for his own sake. He was there for Kakashi. The older brother who has been dealing with the death of his mother and a steady mental decline of his father. Sakumo loved Kakashi, more than anything else in the world, but his depression could let him escape from the darkness that had consumed him. Itachi didn't see Sakumo's suicide as a betrayal, like Kakashi did, he saw as a foolish way of getting rid of the darkness.

Itachi would never condone, nor would he just stand by and watch as someone spiraled downward into that abyss, but at the time, he didn't know what to do. Now, as an adult, he promises to do anything and everything to help people around him who felt the same way as his foster father and has even gone to support groups and told his story to people. He'd like to believe it would help some people, but he doesn't know.

"I'm sorry, Itachi," Sasuke says. His tone a mirror image of his own just minutes before when he was apologizing for Sasuke's misfortune. The two just stare at each other in a long silence. Itachi reaches up and pushes some of the fringe around Sasuke's face away from his eyes a bit.

"I'd better get going. I have work in the morning," Itachi says, withdrawing his hand and standing up. He fishes his phone from his pocket and hands it to Sasuke. "Put your number in there, huh?"

Sasuke takes it and fiddles with it for a moment before grabbing out his own phone and handing it to Itachi. The older boy smiles, contemplating put a funny name down but then decided against it. After the moment they just had together, it seemed like he owe the boy enough to be serious. So he puts his name and number in it and hands it back to the younger boy, receiving his in return.

"I'll see you some other time then, Sasuke," Itachi says, glancing over at Sasuke's two friends, still twirling around on the dance floor having the time of their lives. Skin glistening with sweat under the bright lights.

"Later," Sasuke says. Itachi drops a couple of dollars on the table for the fries and then walks around the table, ruffling Sasuke's hair before heading out. On his way home, Itachi did something he hasn't done in a long time, he went to visit Sakumo's grave. It was dark out but Itachi's feet managed to find the near ten year old tomb stone. Itachi sits in the dirt in front of the stone and runs his fingers along his adoptive father's name.

"It's bee a long time, dad," Itachi says quietly. "Sorry I haven't come to visit lately. I've just been busy. Kakashi is doing good. Him and Iruka. They sure are cute together. Obito and Rin are engaged, finally. I remember you used to joke about how Obito was never going to get married because he was always too nervous to even ask Rin out."

Itachi closes his eyes and listens to the song of the night. Crickets and cicada singing away. Owls and frogs calling out. The rustle of the trees as the wind picks up slightly before dying down once more.

"We are all okay, dad. Kakashi, Rin, Obito, Iruka, myself. We are all doing good. I hope you are watching us up there," Itachi says softly into the night, raising his gaze to look through the thin layer of clouds to the bright starts twinkling down at him. He looks down at the dark grave. "Don't mind Kakashi, dad. He's still sad about what you did. I wonder if he comes to visit you when Iruka and I are away. I wonder if he says anything to you." Itachi closes his eyes. "If not, it's okay. You know him. Kakashi can hold a wicked grudge, but that's just because he misses you. I miss you too."

Itachi opens his eyes and stands up, dusting off his pants. "Well, dad, I'd better go. It's getting late," he says, turning around and heading back to his car. He only gets about five feet before he quietly whispers, "Goodnight, dad." And keeps going. Letting the wind carry his words to the man who gave him the best big brother in the world, wherever he may be.


End file.
